Driving in Hungary – Recommendations, Tips and Tricks

Find Your Car in Hungary

13. The use of winter tires is also not mandatory, so drivers can use them if they want to. Here we should not forget to mention that the use of studded tires is prohibited in Hungary.

14. The permitted blood alcohol content for drivers is 0.0 ppm. The violation of this rule will result in serious penalties. The cancellation of the driving license is a typical additional punishment in that case.

15. Drivers are allowed to use sound signals only if there is a real accident threat. Note that it is simply not common to honk when pedestrians are crossing the road slowly or when other drivers move slowly.

Hints on Car Hire in Hungary

When choosing a car for your Hungary trip, don’t forget to check and compare the franchise amount (indicated in the rental conditions) for all cars considered in your selection. The franchise may vary from 200 to 2000 euro/dollars even for cars of the same class. A thorough comparison will allow you to choose the option with the lowest franchise.

During your booking, we will offer you to take a full coverage of the franchise ('No Risk' or 'No Excess' package). If you book a car without full coverage, it is recommended to take it at the pick-up time - this will substantially reduce your financial liability in Hungary for the whole rental period.

During your car pick-up in Hungary, do not forget to check what to do in breakdown-, accident- or theft-cases. Most of our offers include 'Breakdown Assistance' package. Besides this, every rental office would be happy to assist you with this package.

Prior to the car return, please check your voucher for the fuel conditions. If it is indicated that a driver shall return the car with a full tank, do not forget to refuel it on the way back, this will save you from additional charges at the rental office.

If you are looking for a car hire in Hungary, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual rental offers. Just use the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!

16. Highways are worth a particular mentioning. As a rule, they have at least two lanes in each direction. For safety reasons, opposite direction lanes are divided by separating constructions, so it is possible to make a turn on the highway in specified places only.

17. On highways, there is a special lane for emergency stop in each direction. It is possible to leave a car at the roadside only in case of serious damage. If you simply need some rest, you should go to the nearest petrol station. As a rule, every petrol station has a special area for rest nearby.

18. While driving on the highway, you need to be extremely careful and pay attention to road signs and signposts. If you miss the right exit, then you are unlikely to come back to it quickly as there are not many places to turn on the highway.

19. It is very easy to detect special recreation areas on the highway as their presence is usually notified by bright warning signs. These areas are usually like all-in-one complexes with a small shop, a restaurant, a petrol station, free toilet and showers, and special bins for garbage.

20. Cyclists are considered full participants of traffic in Hungary. According to the new rules, which came into effect in 2010, drivers of motorbikes and bicycles are allowed to overtake on the right.

21. You will find many multi-storey underground car parks in the city. The majority of them are paid. As a rule, such parking lots can be found close to shopping and entertainment centers. All paid parking lots are equipped with special machines that must be used to make the payment.

22. There are also ground parking lots in Hungary. On weekdays, between 8:00 and 18:00 their services are also paid. Late in the evening and very early in the morning, their services are free of charge. On weekends, it is usually allowed to use ground parking lots located away from the center free of charge.

23. Note that even on weekdays it is usually not easy to find a free parking space on a parking lot in the center of the city. If you leave the car in the wrong place or do not pick it up from the parking lot in time, then most likely its wheels will be “blocked”, and the offender will have to pay a large fine.